Study shows positive impact of DuPont Danisco Litesse Polydextrose carbohydrate on microbiome

09 Nov 2017 --- The findings of a DuPont Nutrition & Health research study show that DuPont Danisco Litesse Ultra polydextrose alters the gut microbiome and reduces fasting triglyceride and total cholesterol plasma levels in mice being fed a Western diet. The study is a continuation of the microbiome research work DuPont Nutrition & Health is doing in conjunction with the University of Oulu Medical School in Finland.

DuPont points out that it has a long history in researching the gut microbiome: for close to two decades, the company’s scientists have been researching the gut microbiome and developing products that can boost its health. More than 80 percent of the human body’s immune system can be found in the gut along with effects on skin, metabolic and even brain health, DuPont notes.

“As a global science company, DuPont has been investing for many years in numerous scientific studies,” Michael Bond, Global Product Director, DuPont Nutrition & Health, tells NutritionInsight. “This study is the latest in a catalogue of more than 70 scientific studies of this ingredient, predominately focused on gut health and the area of weight management. As our understanding increases of the overall interconnectivity within the microbiome, more focused clinical research studies will emerge.”

Litesse polydextrose is described as a low calorie, low glycemic, specialty carbohydrate with prebiotic properties that is widely recognized as a fiber. The intake of increased dietary fiber and unsaturated fats are cited as being among the options frequently recommended to address cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and dyslipidemia or the elevation of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides in the bloodstream.

“Litesse Polydextrose can be found in numerous food, beverage and dietary supplement applications globally in part as it is easy to use within formulations,” adds Bond.

Favorable changes
The research showed that mice fed Litesse polydextrose experienced favorable metabolic changes, including decreases in plasma triglycerides and cholesterol, and specific changes in the gut microbiota and gene expression in the gastrointestinal tract.

In the study, Litesse polydextrose was shown to increase microbial groups associated with the lean phenotype and improved lipid metabolism. The mice that were fed Litesse polydextrose had increased Bifidobacterium and Allobaculum genera, which are, according to literature, typically decreased in mice fed a high-fat diet, DuPont notes.

“This study exemplifies DuPont’s commitment to in-depth and long-term science behind our products,” says Heli Putaala, Ph.D., DuPont Nutrition & Health, Global Health and Nutrition Science. “This study with Litesse polydextrose is an example of the type of research we have been performing in our Research Center in Finland for almost 20 years, using our own technologies and expertise in the areas of gut modelling, preclinical and clinical trials.”

“We are now starting to better understand how our product functions by modulating gut microbiota. This regulates microbial metabolites that ultimately have systemic, whole-body effects,” Putaala adds.

Among the study’s other key findings was the discovery that Litesse polydextrose decreased food intake, epididymal fat, plasma triglycerides and total cholesterol in the mice. Furthermore, results showed that Litesse polydextrose changed intestinal gene expression, which may partly explain the favorable metabolic responses.

“While this study was conducted on mice, some human results are in line with what we discovered, although in humans the mechanisms are not yet as clear,” says Professor Karl-Heinz Herzig, who was one of the lead investigators in the study. “These results are very encouraging and should be followed up in human trials.”

By Paul Creasy